Corset



l (Model.) H. WILLIAMS.

` GORSBT. No. 254.786.. Patented Mar. 7,1882.

A? dimi?, l K S l @Mmwam jecting rib or piece inside the breast portion,

.the side of the corset.

i UNITED STATESN ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, OF WORCESTER, ASSIGNOR TO THEODOEE C. BATES, OFNORTH BROOKFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,786, dated March 7,1882.

Application tiled .April 19, 1881.

To all whom it may concern y Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WILLIAMS, ofWorcester, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented anIm provem ent in Corsets, of which the following description, inconnection with the accomi'ianying drawings, is a specifica-tion.

This invention in corsets relates to improvements whereby the breastportion of a goreless corset may be kept distended by adistending-piece, which is extended across only a portion of the upperpart of the breast, the invention consisting in inserting and securingsuch distending-piece in pockets formed in the material of the front andside sections of the corsets, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 represents in front elevation a suf cient portion ofthe breastpart of a corset to illustrate my invention, the breast-distending stripbeing disconnected at one end to show my improvedV manner of securing itto the breast part of the corset, the said ligure showing thedistending-strip applied outside the breast portion, as I prefer to thusavoid a pronext the person. Fig. 2 is a like view of a modification,showing the distending-strip connected with the corset, inside'thebreast portion 5 and Fig. 3, a cross-sectional detail on the line x a',Fig. 1.

The front or breast portion of the corset, partially shown in Fig. 1, iscomposed of three pieces, c b c, connected by seams cl c, each of thesaid pieces being extended from the loottom to the top of the corset.The upper parts of the pieces c b c are broadened to give properfullness to the breast-covering portion of the corset. These parts a b care old. I desire to keep them distended. Y

The breast portion has been kept disten ded by a distendingpieceextended from or near the steel, across lthe top of the pieces a b c,and secured inside the breast-covering portion into the seam unitingtheouter edge of piece c with In corsets in which gores are used thedistendingstrip for the breast portion has been applied exteriorly; butsuch strip has been sewed in with the seams unitingthe back and frontwith the side pieces. Thisstrp must hence be of unchangeable andexcessive length,

(Model.)

and is not adapted tothe Inotons of the body. Hence its ends are apt toh urtfnlly bear against the body, producing great discomfort, if notpositive injury. By my invention of pockets to receive the strip I amenabled to make such strip ot' any desired length and to place it injust such position as is best suited to the requirements of the motionsof the body and demands of the trade.

It is the aim of this invention to distend and keep the breast-coveringportion distended by a shorter strip than heretofore used. The ends ofthe distending-strip are inserted in slits made in one of the twothicknesses of cloth composing the portions a c' o c', the said portionsbeing, as is well understood, composed of two layers or thicknesses ofclot-h, as represented in the section, Figx, the rear side or innerlayers being marked a c.

In the practice ot' my invention, the vertical seams having been sewed,thefront parts, a, c, are each slit, as shown at the left of Fig. 1,forming pockets or spaces for the reception of the ends 2 of thenarrowband-like distendingstrip f, which may be suitably stitliened by bones,cords, canvas, or any other suitable flexible or stiftening material,and the raw or overlapping edge,outside the distending-strip at itsends, is then litted or turned in, as shown at 3, Fig. 3, and stitchedthrough at 4, the said stitches also passing through the endofthedistending-stripand theinnermostthickness of the corset material.

The upper edge of the distending-strip and the upper edges of the part band portions of parts a and c are united and inclosetl by the binding m.I

Both ends of the distending-strip f being joined with vthe corsetbetween its outer and inner plies or thicknesses, as at the right ofFig. 1, enables me to produce a stiftened or distended breast portionwithout a projection or rib of lany sort within the corset,` and theparts of the corsetbreast between the ends ot' the distending'strip andthe extreme outer edges of pieces ay c are left to conform easily to theshape of the breast of the wearer of the corset, and not to bear toohard on the person.

It is obvious that this distending-strip may be placed inside thecorset-breast, as in Fig. 2. In this last ligure the slit to receive theends IOO of the shortened distending-strip, stiffened at g, is insertedbetween the inner and outer layers of thickness or plies of cloth a aand c c through slits made in theinner layers, a 0', and said slittededges are turned in or felled and stitched at 3 4, as referred to inconnection with Figs. 1. and 2.

I claim- In a corset having a goreless breast portion, as set forth, thedistending-stripf, combined with the pieces a and c, and pockets orslits made in the material thereof to receive and retain the ends of thesaid distending-strip, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name r5 to this specification iuthe presence of two suhsoribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

FRANK W. RUGGLES, H. H. FAIRBANKS.

